Davis ag-tech startup to launch nematodes into space

Davis soil-science startup Pheronym Inc. will test its biological pest controls in orbit later this year as part of a mission on the International Space Station.

The research will help Pheronym understand nematodes’, or roundworms’, biological functioning on Earth, and potentially help astronauts feed themselves in future space missions.

The space effort is also garnering attention for the small company, which is currently housed in the UC Davis-HM.CLAUSE Life Science Innovation Center in Davis. The space station effort has a Twitter handle, its own website and an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign.